Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!-Chapter 550 - 106-The Pressure!

Two days later, near the vicinity of the small-world secret realm close to Ironblood City.

Alan used a branch he picked up from the ground as a makeshift sword to slash through the dense thickets ahead.

The black-robed woman, who had briefly awakened from her slumber, couldn't help but tease, "So, in the end, you still couldn't bring yourself to deal with her."

"Is it because she was the first woman to give herself to you?"

Alan's slashing came to an abrupt halt. He coughed awkwardly. "Are we really still stuck on that topic?"

"Mercy toward your enemies is cruelty toward yourself," the black-robed woman snorted coldly. "You didn't finish her off when she was at her weakest. One day, she'll become a troublesome threat."

"When that day comes, I'll be curious to see how you deal with it."

Alan let out a heavy sigh. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I've already returned here like you asked. Now, where's the Stone of Sage?"

As he spoke, he glanced around. Aside from a few signs of battle near the entrance to the small world, there was no indication of anything unusual.

"Look up," the black-robed woman pointed toward the sky.

Alan quickly tilted his head and looked upward. The sky was a vast expanse of clear blue, not a single cloud in sight. Warm sunlight poured down, enveloping him in a comforting, relaxing embrace.

"You're enjoying this a bit too much," the woman frowned. "Use your Holy Staff to release the Light Sword Spell at the sky."

Alan blinked, momentarily surprised. "Just release it? No incantation or anything?"

"Sealing important artifacts with spoken incantations is something only fools do," she snapped. "You never know when those key words might accidentally be leaked."

"Stop wasting time. Do it—now."

Alan didn't argue further. He summoned his Holy Staff and aimed it at the sky.

A sword of mana—raging like wildfire and holy like divine light—burst forth from the staff with his swing, piercing toward the heavens.

But as the light swords soared higher and higher, nothing happened.

The sky remained as blue and tranquil as ever, clear enough to calm the soul.

"Not enough mana. Keep going," barked the black-robed woman like a drill sergeant.

Alan didn't stop. He continued to conjure sword after sword of light, sending them streaking toward the heavens like a dazzling firework display.

Hours passed. He poured out an unceasing stream of mana until finally, something began to change in the sky.

The brilliant blue firmament began to fracture, like a mirror slowly cracking.

From the widening crevice, strange dark-purple substances oozed out, dripping slowly to the ground around Alan.

Eventually, the dark-purple matter began to harden, forming into a strangely shaped staircase.

Before the black-robed woman could give another command, Alan stepped onto the first stair.

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He instantly regretted it.

Some strange magic had clearly been cast on these steps. The moment he stepped on them, he felt as if gravity had increased tenfold.

Still, the woman said nothing, and Alan figured he was overthinking it. Gritting his teeth, he kept climbing.

After two grueling hours of this burdened march, drenched in sweat and bent over, hands resting on his knees, Alan gasped, "Senior... something's wrong. The higher I go, the heavier I feel."

The woman thought for a moment before responding, "This is a barrier left behind by a high-rank powerhouse. Even after hundreds of years, traces of their residual mana still linger. Compared to their strength, your current level isn't even in the same league. You're like a clueless little fish that's been dragged into the deep sea—of course you're going to feel an overwhelming pressure."

"So what should I do? I swear, if I go up a few more steps, I'll be a pancake!"

He wiped the sweat from his brow—only to discover a terrifying sight.

There were streaks of red in his sweat—blood.

Some of the finer capillaries in his body must have ruptured under the intense pressure.

"Don't just stand there—use [Blade Spirit] to cut through the lingering mana pressure!" the black-robed woman urged. "The strength of people may differ, but not their will. Even a tier-bronze magus has the same desire to grow stronger as those tier-diamond powerhouses."

"Using [Blade Spirit] to push back against the mana echoes is like pitting your will against the remnants of theirs. Do you really think you'll lose?"

"Of course not!" Alan shouted, slamming the butt of his staff into the ground.

The edge of his holy blade shimmered with a faint golden light.

In an instant, a surge of [Blade Spirit] burst forth from the sword, sweeping away the oppressive force around him and giving him a moment to catch his breath.

From that point on, every time Alan neared his limit, he would release [Blade Spirit] on the spot to repel the surrounding pressure.

Half a day later, he finally reached a spot just one step away from the rift in the sky.

Seeing the Sealed Artifact so close, a flicker of joy rose in Alan's heart.

With this artifact, not only would the black-robed woman's condition improve, but even that clown-like entity sealed in the second layer of Hell might settle down. At the very least, it would stop creeping him out with surprise visits.

Most importantly, the Sealed Artifact would greatly enhance his own strength.

It was a win-win-win situation. There was no reason not to go through with it.

As he was thinking this, Alan caught a glimpse of something deep inside the rift.

A blood-red gemstone was faintly visible, pulsing with life.

It wasn't just glowing—it was beating. The gemstone had been carved into the shape of a heart.

Even while standing outside the rift, Alan could clearly sense the thumping sound resonating from within it.

"That's… the Stone of Sage?" he asked instinctively.

The black-robed woman's voice carried a trace of excitement. "Yes, that's it!"

"With the Stone of Sage, you'll gain the ability to manipulate matter. You've heard the legend of turning stone into gold, haven't you? This gem is the origin of that myth."

"Moreover, the stone is filled with an immense amount of vital energy. Once you bind it to your body, no matter how severe your injuries are, as long as you have enough vital energy, you can recover in an instant."

"Inject this vital energy into the Hell realm, and the chaos in the first layer will immediately subside. You'll become the undisputed ruler of the first layer."

"And as for the enemies you've fought before—if you choose to, you can throw their souls into Hell. There, they will suffer under the flames of torment, burning for all eternity with no chance of reincarnation."